The Paulson Institute, together with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) and Sesame Workshop, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today with the Changsha Municipal People’s Government that launched the Children’s Urban Sustainability Education Initiative, titled Kids Create Cities of the Future, the first in a series of programs geared toward promoting urban sustainability in Changsha. The agreement marks another green step forward for the capital city of Hunan Province, helping to teach preschool children about the importance of water conservation and sustainability.

With over 100 children on hand to take part in the festivities, Sesame Workshop’s Big Bird led a signing ceremony sponsored by the BROAD Group, and attended by Changsha Vice Mayor Yao Yingjie, Paulson Institute Vice Chairman Deborah Lehr, Sesame Workshop China Advisor Gracie Sun, and BROAD Group Board Director Zhou Zhuojun.

The Children’s Urban Sustainability Education Initiative marks the first in a series of initiatives planned for Changsha. The Paulson Institute will also collaborate with government departments on conservation projects, collaborate on pilot programs geared toward urban sustainability, and launch the Paulson City Assessment Tool – a tool aimed at helping leaders to identify and prioritize sustainability issues in their cities. This MoU is the second such agreement in China, following the city of Baoding in Hebei Province.

“We are very excited to be back in Changsha today to sign this agreement,” said Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman of the Paulson Institute. “Since selecting Changsha as a pilot city for the Paulson Institute’s Urban Sustainability Program, we’ve begun to work with our partners to address critical challenges in urbanization–challenges which are especially urgent in China’s fast-developing cities. With Big Bird and the Sesame Workshop here today, we’re sending the message that the best place to start is with the children.”

The Paulson Institute, an independent center established by Henry M. Paulson Jr., former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and chief executive of Goldman Sachs, promotes sustainable economic growth and a cleaner environment by facilitating cooperation between the U.S. and China.